Rahm Emanuel, Weighing Presidential Bid, Navigates a Democratic Party Moving Left

[question everything]

DES MOINES, Iowa—Rahm Emanuel has plenty of government experience to tout as he appears increasingly serious about running for president: former Democratic congressman, White House chief of staff, Chicago mayor and diplomat. But his centrist message clashes with an insurgent progressive base mesmerized by figures such as Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D., N.Y.) and Zohran Mamdani, the self-described democratic socialist favored in New York City’s November mayoral election.

So it was instructive to see Emanuel surrounded over the weekend by the Democratic base in Iowa where he headlined an annual party fish-fry fundraiser in the state’s largest county. While he wasn’t technically campaigning, it was the first time the famously combative Emanuel had made a high-profile retail political appearance on his own behalf for the better part of a decade.

(snip)

The seriousness of Emanuel’s ambitions was obvious throughout his two-day visit. He deployed a small advance team to make preparations ahead of his stops and a professional video camera operator filmed him. He attended a high-school football game, visited a business incubator in a low-income neighborhood, and met with teachers, families and union workers. Emanuel seemed on a mission to shake hands with all of the roughly 400 fish fry attendees. When one woman asked if he is running for president, he replied: “I’m thinking about it.”

On stage, there was self-deprecating humor, a brief impersonation of Clinton and a pledge to work on his empathy. Still, the take-no-prisoners style that earned Emanuel the nickname “Rahm-bo” was never far away: “Washington needs a two by four, and someone who knows how to swing it.” He criticized the U.S. for not doing more to help children and parents, praised Australia’s planned ban of social media for those under 16, and reflected on time spent practicing ballet in high school.

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https://www.wsj.com/politics/policy/rahm-emanuel-democratic-party-70a5275a?st=YzTJLY&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink

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[doc03]

1. No

[SheltieLover]

2. No! Chicagoans hated him as mayor. Just no!

[badhair77]

3. Hard pass for me.

[BComplex]

4. One of my LEAST favorite democratic officeholders ever.

Big NO.

[markodochartaigh]

14. Quick mnemonic for my personal least liked Democratic politicians:

There is a room for a cinema in the mansion.

[markodochartaigh]

5. Better Diane Feinstein than

Rahm Emanuel.

[Autumn]

8. Kudos.I see what you did there.

[Celerity]

23. lol

[Autumn]

6. Don't think too hard. That's gonna be a big waste of time.

[snowybirdie]

7. No, no, no

Am a former Chicagoan. He was disliked and has no personality. Perhaps a good Chief of Staff, but a real p...k. I've heard rumors about Andy Bashear. Gov of Ky. Now that's a viable candidate

[question everything]

10. Agree about Andy Bashear. Former Southern governors won so.. chances.

[democrank]

9. Hope when Rahm is done thinking about a presidential run

he tells himself NO.

[kacekwl]

11. Please NO.

[NewHendoLib]

12. Ugh. The massive ego. No thx.

[sdfernando]

13. Hard pass! /nt

[Clouds Passing]

15. NO RAHM!

[Bev54]

16. He is so very unpopular, does he not have a team that knows that or does he not listen?

[Ritabert]

17. Don't bother.

[Tree Lady]

18. Just remind people that he is the reason

Obama wouldn't go for universal healthcare.

[Easterncedar]

19. No no no

[unc70]

20. No, no, no!! And no on both his brothers!!!

Sneaky, lying, cheating. Hard to imagine a worse Democrat. Arrogant, manipulative, sleazy.

[electric_blue68]

21. No. Nope. Nein. Non. Etc! Get the drift, Rahm Emanuel?!

[a kennedy]

22. Ditto to NOPE, NOPE, NOPE.

[4th]

24. I'd vote for him over any Republican but ...

... please please please no more of this guy.

Please.

[myohmy2]

25. for joy...

...rapture...not

...if I had to put my money on someone becoming President who's Jewish, I'd put my money on JB...

...

[Ninga]

26. Hard no. Nt

[yaesu]

27. interesting. nt

[awesomerwb1]

28. As if things couldn't get worse.

[SamKnause]

29. No thanks.

I remember what he called liberals.

[ms liberty]

30. No. Absolutely not. Do not saddle us with that arrogant man.

He is unlikable and eminently backpfeifengesicht.

[Borogove]

31. No self-awareness whatsoever.

[mahina]

32. Oh please.

No.

Or, just entertain this one for a minute how about you take all the money you would have to raise to to lose this race and go do something useful with it and your time and take your bullshit with you

[Skittles]

33. too much baggage

let's move on........

[electric_blue68]

34. No. Pffffttttttt...

[TBF]

35. We have multiple potential candidates who are so much better -

Obviously, Kamala Harris, along with others like Beshear, Shapiro, Newsom, Pritzker, Buttigieg, etc ... those are just the obvious, there are many more who could be great candidates. Folks who have name recognition now. We do not need Rahm Emmanuel mucking things up.